A few years ago in my junior year of college, my girlfriend and I adopted a mini Pinscher (female). In my last year of college, the apartments I was going to move into for my last quarter did not allow pets (it was student housing) and it was my only living option at the time so I brought my dog home (about an hour and a half drive away) for my parents to take care of for those few months. When it came time to move out after I graduated, I still had limited options (because I only had a part-time job) and the only place I could find was a sublet who had a strict no pet policy so again I had to leave my dog with my parents for a bit longer, which brings us to today almost a whole year later.
Now I'm in an apartment that allows pets and even one of my roommates has a young dog of his own. I want to bring my dog back to my apartment but here's where I'm stuck. In the time my dog has spent with my parents, my parents have really grown to care for her. We have another dog at home (a 13-year old Dachshund - male) that my parents have had since he was born and he's really bonded with my dog, too. He hasn't been able to go on walks with my mom anymore so my mom takes my dog instead. My dad is also very good with updating my dog's shots and keeping her well-groomed. He's also a stay-at-home dad so he gets to be with her all day. My parents are able to manage my dogs needs (e.g. food, grooming, medical stuff) financially with no problem.
Over the past year, I've missed taking care of my min Pin so much and I want her to stay with me but I'm concerned about a few things. My job requires me to be out all day so I wouldn't be able to attend to her as much as my dad would, but then again there's always at least one of my roommates home during the day anyways. She's still young so I want to be able to play with her often and keep her physical health up while she's still developing into an adult dog, which is something my parents might not do as much. I don't have the highest paying job so covering medical emergencies isn't as easy for me as it is for my parents. Of course I would put the money down in a heartbeat if I needed to but $200-300 out of my pocket hurts me more than it would coming out of my parents' pockets.
I'm also concerned about my other dog back home (the Dachshund). He's already pretty old and doesn't get much attention from my parents anymore and I'm afraid if I take away his only friend, he'll be incredibly hurt by it. I don't know if I'm just projecting my human emotions onto him so I guess I'm just looking for reassurance that he'll be okay if I take away his only playmate, though that might be more on my parents' than on me.
In the end, I think my parents and I both are adequate caregivers but I just want to make sure I do what's best for my dog (or both dogs really). I think my parents might see them just as pets meaning they will take care of them to best of their ability but at the end of the day, they are just dogs to them. To me, my dogs are really a part of me like family and I would do anything for them. Any input or advice would be much appreciated!
TL;DR: My parents took care of my dog for a year while I was at school. I want to take her back but they've grown to care for her so well and she's also bonded with my other dog back home. I really miss taking care of her but I want to make sure she's with the best caregiver. Please help!
Now I'm in an apartment that allows pets and even one of my roommates has a young dog of his own. I want to bring my dog back to my apartment but here's where I'm stuck. In the time my dog has spent with my parents, my parents have really grown to care for her. We have another dog at home (a 13-year old Dachshund - male) that my parents have had since he was born and he's really bonded with my dog, too. He hasn't been able to go on walks with my mom anymore so my mom takes my dog instead. My dad is also very good with updating my dog's shots and keeping her well-groomed. He's also a stay-at-home dad so he gets to be with her all day. My parents are able to manage my dogs needs (e.g. food, grooming, medical stuff) financially with no problem.
Over the past year, I've missed taking care of my min Pin so much and I want her to stay with me but I'm concerned about a few things. My job requires me to be out all day so I wouldn't be able to attend to her as much as my dad would, but then again there's always at least one of my roommates home during the day anyways. She's still young so I want to be able to play with her often and keep her physical health up while she's still developing into an adult dog, which is something my parents might not do as much. I don't have the highest paying job so covering medical emergencies isn't as easy for me as it is for my parents. Of course I would put the money down in a heartbeat if I needed to but $200-300 out of my pocket hurts me more than it would coming out of my parents' pockets.
I'm also concerned about my other dog back home (the Dachshund). He's already pretty old and doesn't get much attention from my parents anymore and I'm afraid if I take away his only friend, he'll be incredibly hurt by it. I don't know if I'm just projecting my human emotions onto him so I guess I'm just looking for reassurance that he'll be okay if I take away his only playmate, though that might be more on my parents' than on me.
In the end, I think my parents and I both are adequate caregivers but I just want to make sure I do what's best for my dog (or both dogs really). I think my parents might see them just as pets meaning they will take care of them to best of their ability but at the end of the day, they are just dogs to them. To me, my dogs are really a part of me like family and I would do anything for them. Any input or advice would be much appreciated!
TL;DR: My parents took care of my dog for a year while I was at school. I want to take her back but they've grown to care for her so well and she's also bonded with my other dog back home. I really miss taking care of her but I want to make sure she's with the best caregiver. Please help!
